


Dust

by Bazylia_de_Grean



Series: Never Far from the Queen [3]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M, Gen, PoE Inktober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 22:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16773955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean
Summary: Gaining a queen’s favour is costly; it is a pity that the wrong person will have to pay, but that is the way of the world.





	Dust

**Author's Note:**

> (PoE Inktober, prompt 26: Dust)

Thaos is unaware of his father’s plan yet – oh, he would have thought of that, if he was more ambitious – but Woedica knows. She finds the idea quite entertaining.

The most amusing part is that if not for their holy endeavour, she might have considered that herself. Thaos always expresses his opinion when needed – sometimes unasked, but always respectfully, always deferring to her judgement in the end. He would be a very manageable husband, that is clear; he would never try to take over her throne, he would follow her lead; he would show everyone that she should be revered, all her orders obeyed.

That, however, will not happen, and she is glad to know Verran ix Arkannon’s dreams of power will turn to dust. He was her father’s advisor, he is a noble, but compared to her, he is nothing, and she will not tolerate his intrigues, however subtle. She only wishes he could live long enough to see what a place for his son she has prepared at her side. Gaining a queen’s favour is costly; it is a pity that the wrong person will have to pay, but that is the way of the world.

Thaos will not object, she can see it even now. He worships her too much to let his thoughts stray into desire; he admires her as his sovereign, but he has never seen her as simply a woman. Not consciously.

But whenever she smiles, his gaze focuses on her face. When she laughs, he always listens. Watches every gesture of her hands. Innocent things; barely more than merely paying attention as a future advisor should.

Woedica can see deeper into Thaos’ soul than he can, and it is all there, waiting. Admiration that could easily bloom into yearning. Reverence that could turn into love in a heartbeat. He is oblivious to that, dismissing it as impossible before he could consider it, before he could even dream of it. That is going to change soon.

Sometimes, when he thinks of her, she reaches out and brushes the tip of her thought across his mind; too gently for him to notice. It makes him focus on her for a while longer, remember her voice and laughter better, notice the glimmer of approval in her eyes whenever he does his duties exceptionally well.

She is not influencing his feelings; that would be below her. The spark is already there; she merely stokes it, fans it carefully, watching it grow into a flame, the heat rising too slowly for him to notice. When he finally does, he will burn.

That is an acceptable way of offering something up as a sacrifice, she has been told. At least in some faraway lands. In Engwith, a soul would be the only suitable tribute.

Woedica smiles softly, feeling his gaze on her, and runs a thought along his, very delicately. A touch far lighter than a feather. There is no need for more; his soul already belongs to her.


End file.
